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The morning sun had barely crept over the Maze walls when Thalia slipped out of her hammock, moving as quietly as possible. The Glade was still half-asleep, most of the boys still curled up in their makeshift beds, their breathing slow and steady.
Perfect.
She had one goal this morning: Get breakfast. Eat fast. Avoid Gally.
After last night—the mud, the chase, the kiss—she did not want to deal with him yet.
She wasn’t ready.
And if she knew Gally at all, he was going to make sure she had to deal with it.
So she moved quickly, making her way to the cooking station where Frypan was already grumbling under his breath, flipping something over a fire.
“You’re up early, Greenie,” he muttered, rubbing his tired eyes.
Thalia grabbed a bowl from the stack. “Yeah, well. Some of us like to be productive.”
Frypan snorted. “Or you just don’t wanna see a certain Builder.”
Thalia froze mid-scoop, her spoon hovering over the pot of oatmeal.
She shot him a sharp look. “What? No. That’s—”
Frypan smirked, leaning against the counter, arms crossed. “Please. Half the Glade saw you and Gally sneaking off last night. You think people don’t notice things around here?”
Thalia’s stomach twisted.
She groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Shuck me, this place has no privacy.”
Frypan chuckled, going back to his cooking. “Nope. But hey, at least it keeps things interesting.”
Thalia grabbed her bowl and walked away before he could say anything else.
She sat at the far end of one of the long wooden tables, back to the rest of the Glade, eating as quickly as possible.
Maybe—just maybe—she could slip out before—
“Well, that’s just rude.”
Thalia squeezed her eyes shut for half a second before turning.
Of course.
Gally.
He stood behind her, arms crossed, expression unreadable, though she could see the ghost of a smirk lurking behind his usual scowl.
Thalia sighed, stabbing at her oatmeal with her spoon. “Can’t a girl eat in peace?”
Gally ignored that, sitting across from her without an invitation.
Thalia gritted her teeth.
So much for escaping.
She kept eating, pointedly not looking at him, but she could feel his eyes on her.
